A Measured Approach

Why is simple so difficult?

That’s a question I often think about. Early today (4:00 am) I was up and reading my email and came across a great, 2005 study on the power of simple copy. Its title: “Consequences of erudite vernacular utilized irrespective of necessity: problems with using long words needlessly” more

Here’s my annual list of what to expect, marketing-wise, in the upcoming 12 months. Time will tell how accurate these are, although my 2009 list was fairly spot-on:

#10) Mobile advertising will still NOT flourish in North America in 2010. However, if the Google mobile phone becomes a hit it could make a late-year run and enter 2011 with great momentum.

#9) The web will continue to grow and play an even more important role in great, measurable marketing. Websites that create relevance, with smart use of microsites, and also help develop a dialog, will reign supreme. One-way websites will be viewed as antiquated and ineffective; YouTube will grow in its importance for traditional TV-based advertisers (:30 second commercials will decline greatly). Google Analytics will continue to gain users and importance.

#8) Wal-Mart’s attempt to compete with Amazon will prove more

I read an interesting case study today that involved two of my favorite things: direct marketing and bourbon.

It seems like the makers of Knob Creek bourbon wanted to let people know that their small batch supply was running very low … each batch is aged nine years. So, they wanted to inform their thirsty loyalists (Hey, why wasn’t I on that list?) of their predicament.

They turned to FedEx. Only, there was one small catch. more

I happen to love direct mail. It’s a very powerful vehicle when done correctly. However, I still see A LOT of bad direct mail marketing being done. And more often than not, it comes from the big guys.

Consider the image on this blog (above right). It’s direct mail from US Bank, sent to me promoting their FlexPerks Visa Card. This was a test, as you can see from the outer envelopes and how different they are. The insides also varied, significantly, so I will tell you that they were testing two different packages.

Can any of you seasoned direct marketers tell me what’s wrong with this test before clicking the more button on the right? Hint: It’s a trick question — sort of. more

In an effort to improve efficiencies by 10% or more in its movie recommendation model, Netflix asked anyone who was interested to prove that they could do so over their current model. Three years later they have a winner.

This is good PR, but even better business, as Netflix understands that by engaging people to make their service more efficient leads to an increased bottom-line. They become participants, not just customers. more

Okay, I’ll admit it, I love direct mail marketing. I look forward to going home at the end of the day, seeing my family and then looking at and opening my daily mail. I also love emerging media, but mail makes us, subliminally, feel important. Someone is trying to contact you and wants your attention. They are trying to convince you and educate you that their insurance, olive oil, magazine, steaks, wine or clothing is better and they’ll give you a deal to prove it to you.

Thus, when I continue to read that mail volume continues to decline I don’t panic. Why? more